


the spellbook for beginners

by aurumsky (strasesky)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: AKA kyungsoo - you tried, Alternate Universe - Magic, Demons, M/M, Rookie Mage Kyungsoo, grand demon!sehun, very irritating grand demon!sehun - is that a tag??, written for astrongbreeze2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 03:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8694190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strasesky/pseuds/aurumsky
Summary: kyungsoo really, really, really, really regrets using The Spellbook For Beginners, because now there's a grand demon in the middle of his living room who can't be bothered travelling back to hell.





	

**Author's Note:**

> posted on livejournal [here](http://astrongbreeze.livejournal.com/12859.html), though there are various mistakes in that version.............
> 
> hope u all enjoy!!

Kyungsoo’s number one advice: Do _not_ use The Spellbook For Beginners.

And honestly, slicing his palm open during the spellcasting was _an accident._

What kind of idiot brings blood into a simple binding spell anyway? Kyungsoo really, really should have known better. But still, how was he supposed to know that tweaking a few runes and dripping some blood would summon... _this_?

 _An accident._ He swears. And now, he’s truly fucked.

“Look,” the demon says, sitting crosslegged in the middle of Kyungsoo’s wrecked living room floor, “I’ve told you, unless you make a deal with me, I’m not going anywhere! You calling me here was a bloody blessing,” it adds under its breath. “It’s definitely Luhan’s turn to clean the dining room...”

Kyungsoo is too busy frantically flipping through The Spellbook For Beginners to listen to the demon’s ramblings, however. He’s just a rookie mage! He literally started three days ago! So why! Does! He have! A grand demon! In! The middle! Of! His home!

He hates his life.

“Hey, hey.” The demon clicks its fingers at Kyungsoo impatiently. “Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t even look up. Surely there was some way to banish this nuisance...

“If you’re looking for a way to get rid of me,” it says, studying its fingernails with a smug smile on its face, “you’re definitely not going to find it in there.”

Kyungsoo drops the book on the ground. He’s already forgotten the cut on his right hand. And he’s so, so fucked.

“Stop looking at me like that,” the demon – to Kyungsoo’s horror – _whines_. “Look, it’s not my fault your house is so – so easily broken! Look at these low quality floorboards!” It snaps off a bit of floorboard from the mess around him. “Seriously. Oh, but I hope you have home insurance.”

Kyungsoo pinches his nose. “No fucking home insurance would cover this bullshit,” he mutters.

“He speaks,” the demon drawls, grinning. “Hey, can you make a deal with me? If I go back now with no deal, I’ll just be forced into more menial labour by hyung.” It pouts. It. Fucking. Pouts.

It also says ‘hyung’, which admittedly surprises Kyungsoo a great deal. “Demons use honorifics?” he says, squinting in confusion.

“Of course,” it says. “Can’t go around offending our superiors now, can we? I don’t exactly want to get my life tortured out of me, y’know?”

“You’re a demon, you’re _dead_.”

“I still have a life!” the demon insists. It sniffs, glaring a little at Kyungsoo. “How old are you anyway? You look like you’re ten. I’m definitely your hyung.”

Kyungsoo splutters. “I’m not ten,” he snaps, heat rising to his cheeks. Why does this always happen to him? “I’m twenty-three!”

“Oh! You’re _my_ hyung, hyung.” It looks surprised. “Well, kind of. Do you know that I was only twenty-two when I died? How tragic is that?”

“Please leave,” Kyungsoo says. “Please. Summoning you was _an accident_.”

The demon wrinkles its nose. “No way am I going back to Hell right now. Do you know how far away it is? On top of that, Luhan – my hyung, you see – was being so stubborn! I’m telling you, it was _his_ turn to clean out the dining room!”

This has to be a dream. He’s got a grand demon (human form and all) in his living room complaining about the chores he shares with his hyung. _Chores._ Kyungsoo would like to wake up now.

The demon stands, stretching its long arms. Fuck, of course it’s taller than Kyungsoo. “Right, well, since you’re obviously not going to make a deal with me, I’m going to crash here for the night. Cool? Cool.”

“Not cool!” Kyungsoo says, mouth dropping open in horror. “Not! Cool!” But he can only watch as it steps casually out of the broken Devil’s Trap in the floor, kicking The Spellbook For Beginners across the room.

“C’mon, hyung,” it says, pouting. Again. “You summoned me here! You should take responsibility for my comfort and safety.” It steps closer to Kyungsoo, squinting slightly. “By Lucifer, you are short! And so cute!”

Kyungsoo punches the demon in the face.

In retrospect, _not a good idea!_ First of all, the demon is both bigger and stronger than Kyungsoo physically. Secondly, it probably has real, _working_ magic skills and could turn Kyungsoo into a Not-Cute Toad. Third, his hand fucking hurts now!

The demon staggers back, clutching its nose. “Ow,” it complains, voice oddly muffled. “That was rude, hyung. Now you _definitely_ need to give me a bed to sleep in.”

Kyungsoo holds his hand closely to his chest. Well, at least he hasn’t been turned into a toad yet. “Fucking fine,” he hisses. Then: “Wait, I only have one bed-”

“Great! We can share.” The demon instantly brightens as it cracks its nose into place. Its blood, a shimmering black, disappears from its skin. “You really pack a hard punch y’know. Really shocking.”

Honestly, Kyungsoo is fucking speechless. He really, really regrets buying that book off Chanyeol. Should’ve known this would happen. Should have fucking known.

“So, hyung, what’s your name? Mine’s Sehun. I already said, but I don’t think you were listening.” The demon – or Sehun, _whatever_ – slings an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. Kyungsoo decides seething silently is the best way to not get himself killed. He feels like he should be more scared of this ‘grand demon’ but Kyungsoo can’t seem to be anything but mad. “Let’s get to know each other, yeah? I’m only going to stay until we make a deal, so we should make the most of our time together. Also, your hand is still bleeding.”

“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” Kyungsoo blurts out. Fuck, he hates himself. His palm aches a little. “I mean, I punched you in the face. And you’re a grand demon. So-”

“That wouldn’t be very fun,” Sehun says, rolling its eyes. “Plus, it means I wouldn’t even get something out of this whole ordeal. Killing one silly mage is just so unexciting. I’m sure you understand.”

“I’m sure,” Kyungsoo echoes flatly.

“So, your name?” Sehun prompts.

Fuck it, it can’t get any worse than it already is. “Kyungsoo,” he finds himself saying. He’s so damn exhausted. “It’s Do Kyungsoo.”

“Can I call you Soo-hyung? I’ll just call you that.”

“Wait-”

“Soo-hyung, lead the way! The trip from Hell was really tiring, so if you could just show me where the bed is?”

Never mind. It’s worse. Kyungsoo needs to seriously rethink his life decisions. He throws one last glance at the mess on his floor before resignedly following Sehun out the room.

“Your house is pretty big,” Sehun comments, half-skipping along the corridor and up the stairs. “I’m surprised you can afford it.”

“What do you mean, you’re surprised?” Kyungsoo says, narrowing his eyes.

“Well, I mean, you’re dressed in these all black shabby clothes. Your trousers have holes in them!”

Kyungsoo looks down at his ripped jeans. Last time Baekhyun was round, he’d gone through Kyungsoo’s wardrobe (with no minimal amount of complaints) before tearing rips in his favourite pair of jeans, claiming fashion as an excuse. (Arsehole.)

“Is this your bedroom?” Sehun doesn’t wait for an answer before barging inside and flinging itself onto the bed, grinning. Kyungsoo hates his life so, so much. “Ugh, it smells like human in here.”

“Well, it’s not exactly going to smell like Hell,” Kyungsoo snaps, glowering.

“You’re missing out. Seriously, Soo-hyung, it smells much better than you’d expect. You can only smell the burning flesh and pain and suffering when you’re in Tartarus.” Sehun props its head up on its hand, eyes wide on its unfairly chiselled face. Now that Kyungsoo’s looking, he notices that Sehun has ridiculously good bone structure. Not fair. It’s dead, for fuck’s sake, it doesn’t need good looks anymore.

“Are you going to leave after tonight?” Kyungsoo finds himself asking. Resigned hope curls in his chest. “You’ll find a deal somewhere else, I promise.”

“Hmm,” Sehun says. “Hey, hey, don’t just stand there, now I feel awkward.” It giggles. “You really look like you’re five.”

First ten, now _five._ “I’m going to sleep somewhere else,” Kyungsoo growls, irritation slowly pounding in his head. “Please leave after tonight.”

 “I’m not that repulsive, am I?” Sehun calls after Kyungsoo as he exits the bedroom, grabbing only his nightclothes with him. “Do you even have anywhere else to sleep? Didn’t you say you only had one bed?”

Kyungsoo freezes, the not-bloody fingers lingering on the door handle.

“And you wrecked the living room, so you can’t exactly sleep on the sofa-”

“No, _you_ wrecked the living room!” Kyungsoo practically shrieks, spinning on his heel to point an accusing finger (on the hand with the sliced palm) at Sehun. And yeah, it’s really not a good idea to be so hostile to his grand demon guest, but he can’t help it! “You’re the one who appeared in a _hurricane_ in the living room!”

“Look,” Sehun says, holding his hands up. (Kyungsoo should be grateful he hasn’t been smited yet, to be honest.) “Grand demons like me have to make a grand entrance! Otherwise, our titles make no sense.”

Kyungsoo drags his other hand down his face. He just wants to sleep. Why did he slice his palm open? _Why_?

“We can share the bed, you know,” Sehun continues. “I don’t have rabies or anything. I’m not going to maul you in the middle of the night.”

Kyungsoo looks up and raises a questioning, disbelieving eyebrow.

“Seriously! If I wanted to torture you, I would have done it the moment the binding spell broke.” Sehun rolls his eyes. “I’m not _that_ patient.”

Fuck. Kyungsoo’s wavering. He’s just so, so tired, and his bed is so, so warm, and Sehun does have a point...

But Kyungsoo does have a little pride left. “I’ll sleep on the floor,” he sniffs, walking back into the bedroom. Sehun grins.

“I don’t have cooties, you know,” it says. “There’s no such thing as demon pox, either.”

Kyungsoo glares back, stepping into his en suite bathroom and slamming the door behind him. Through the door, he can still hear Sehun’s giggling.

Kyungsoo grabs the edge of the sink, steadying himself. Now that he’s no longer facing the demon directly, it’s all come and hit him.

He’s summoned a grand demon (by accident!) and now it won’t leave his house. It’s lying on his bed, for fuck’s sake. His knuckles turn white as he realises that he’s actually _lucky_ ; lucky that he hasn’t been ripped to shreds. Lucky that the most harm Sehun has done is insult Kyungsoo’s age. (Seriously, he’s not ten _or_ five!)

He’s not sure how long he stands there, staring at himself in the mirror above the sink, hands gripping the porcelain tightly. It’s only when Sehun yells, “What are you _doing_ in there? Honestly,” that Kyungsoo startles and remembers the pain in his right hand. The blood has mostly dried, and Kyungsoo bandages it up carefully before brushing his teeth. He strips off his clothes (a little bloodstained, but it’s fine, they’re black anyway) and throws them into the far corner of the bathroom. For a moment, he contemplates sleeping there.

“Hey,” Sehun shouts. “You’re not sleeping in there, are you? I’m offended!”

 _Fuck_. Can grand demons read minds? Kyungsoo grumbles as he pulls on his sleep clothes and leaves the bathroom. “Maybe you should sleep in the bathroom,” he mutters.

“No, no, I can’t,” Sehun says, stretched out luxuriously on Kyungsoo’s bed. “A lovely prince like me needs comfort!”

“Well, you’re not very princely,” Kyungsoo finds himself saying, to his horror. Does he _want_ to get mauled? Why can’t he keep his mouth shut???

Sehun only smiles, showing a row of perfect teeth. Ugh, again, why do dead things have good looks? “You should see Luhan,” it announces. “He’s even _less_ princely.”

Kyungsoo glares some more and climbs silently into the bed. He makes sure to stay as far away from the demon as possible, to the point that he’s almost falling off the bed. This, the demon doesn’t comment on, and merely lies back and stares at the ceiling as Kyungsoo reaches for the light switch.

“Oh, by the way,” Sehun says, just as Kyungsoo flicks the light off. “I sleep-talk.”

“...Fuck off!”

\---

When Kyungsoo wakes in the morning, Sehun is not in the bed.

His first thought is, _thank god._ That side of the bed is cold, the covers are made neatly and there is no evidence of Sehun’s sleep-over.

Except, then Kyungsoo hears a screeching noise from downstairs, and he bolts upright, sleep vanished from his mind. “Shiiiit,” he mutters, grabbing his glasses and running downstairs in his pajamas. It doesn’t occur to him that the screeching is kind of familiar until he bursts into the kitchen, glasses perched on his nose, and sees Zitao, laughing his ass off on one of Kyungsoo’s kitchen stools. Beside him sits Sehun, who’s cackling with him, arms wrapped around its stomach.

“What,” Kyungsoo says flatly.

“Hyung,” Zitao says, eyes bright with laughter, “I didn’t know you had someone over! You should have told me!” Cue salacious wink.

Kyungsoo does his best not to scowl, and the result is an awkward lip twitch. “Unexpected guest,” he says by way of explanation. Zitao doesn’t know much about the magic scene, just that it exists, and Kyungsoo doesn’t need Zitao to know what he’s started getting into.

Zitao nods vigorously. “I approve,” he says, before dissolving into giggles. “I really like him. Why don’t we all go out for brunch together?”

Immediately, Kyungsoo’s eyes dart to Sehun, who smirks. “Great idea!” Sehun exclaims before Kyungsoo can even open his mouth for a definitive ‘no’. “I’d love to get to know you better, Zitao.”

Zitao positively beams. “Me too,” he says. His eyes crinkle when he smiles this time, and Kyungsoo knows that means he really likes Sehun already. The very thought fills Kyungsoo with horror.

“I don’t know, Zitao, I’m kind of busy-” The look on Zitao’s face stops Kyungsoo short. It’s a mixture of unimpressed and pleading, neither of which sit well with Kyungsoo, especially on one of his closest friends’ faces. “ _Fine_. But-”

“And you’ll be the good hyung and pay, right?” Sehun butts in, again. The lip twitch is stronger, this time. So is Zitao’s pleading expression.

“ _Fine!_ ” He hates his life.

“By the way, hyung, what happened to your hand?”

Kyungsoo pauses. “Cut myself while chopping vegetables last night.”

Zitao grins. “You’re not usually this clumsy, hyung! Were you... distracted?” Zitao's eyebrows wiggle extravagantly, although Kyungsoo's not really sure why.

“Very.” He scowls, the image of a messy rune circle still clear in his mind. Zitao smirks.

Soon he finds himself having brunch at the closest cafe on a Saturday morning with his best friend from highschool and a grand demon sitting beside him.

“Your waffles,” the waiter says cheerfully. His name tag reads _Jongdae_. “Enjoy your brunch!”

Kyungsoo doesn’t notice, because he’s too busy glaring at the table. Sehun and Zitao are unfortunately getting along like a house on fire, and Kyungsoo is beginning to wish he’d never met Chanyeol (fuck you, Chanyeol, for giving him that book!). The etched lines in the wood are beginning to hurt Kyungsoo’s eyes, though, and he is hungry.

“Here, Soo-hyung,” Sehun says, passing Kyungsoo a plate of waffles. “Might as well eat what you paid for, right?” It beams. Kyungsoo’s expression grows darker as he takes the plate silently.

“’Soo-hyung’? That’s a good one,” Zitao says, lips twitching in a smirk. “Most elaborate nickname he’s ever had was ‘D.O.’ back in high school.” He snickers. Kyungsoo glowers. “He thought it was so cool, but it was actually really just... lame.”

Sehun guffaws. Kyungsoo stabs his waffle. “And what about you, Mr Z.Tao?” Kyungsoo hisses. “Were you really any better?”

Zitao crosses his arms, nose turned up a little. “I’ll have you know-”

“Personally,” Sehun says, cutting in _again_ (but Kyungsoo’s a little less peeved because it’s Zitao), “I think Zitao’s name sounds _much_ cooler.” They highfive.

Kyungsoo takes it back. He’s more peeved that it’s Zitao.

They’re about halfway through their waffles when the bell on the cafe door chimes and Kyungsoo hears a familiar voice calling “Kyungsoo!”

He winces. As if his day couldn’t get any worse...

Baekhyun walks (read: prances) over to the table, grinning. Behind him, Chanyeol trails, also smiling widely. (What has Kyungsoo done to deserve this?) “Did you use that book Chanyeol gave you- Oh, hello.” Baekhyun’s eyelids lower, fluttering a little, as he spots Zitao. “What’s your name?”

Zitao blinks before smirking right back. “Huang Zitao,” he says, suddenly a lot less giggly and a lot more flirty. Kyungsoo stabs his waffle even more viciously. He’s not even going to _try_ and stop this trainwreck from happening. “And yours?”

“Byun Baekhyun.” He slides into the booth, right next to Zitao who’s on the opposite side of Kyungsoo and Sehun.  “That’s an... exotic name. Chinese, am I right?”

“You’re right,” Zitao says, turning his body a little closer to Baekhyun.

“Retch,” Chanyeol says, slipping in next to Sehun. He’s unfortunately as bright and cheery as always. “Hi, I’m Chanyeol. And you’re-”

Chanyeol pauses.

Sehun looks at him.

Kyungsoo, from where he is, can’t see Sehun’s expresison, but he can see Chanyeol’s perfectly well, and he can see that Chanyeol’s eyes are widening, comically so.

“That’s Sehun,” Zitao says, seemingly not noticing the odd tension in the booth. “Kyungsoo’s new _thing_.”

“What-!” Kyungsoo splutters.

“We’re not a thing,” Sehun says. It’s practically purred. “I feel like Chanyeol and Baekhyun wouldn’t approve.”

And that’s when it hits Kyungsoo. Obviously, Chanyeol and Baekhyun know who – or rather, _what_ – Sehun is. They’re the ones who gave Kyungsoo the book, after all. They’re the ones who introduced Kyungsoo to this – to magic and the supernatural. And now he has absolutely no idea what’s going to happen.

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol says pleasantly, sliding his gaze from Sehun to Kyungsoo with effort. “Can I talk to you?”

“You are talking to him.” Sehun is just as pleasant.

“I can answer for myself,” Kyungsoo snaps. Zitao is glancing between the three of them, his forehead creased in evident confusion. “Let’s go outside, Chanyeol.”

Sehun has to get out of the booth in order to let Kyungsoo out, and when he stands his gaze is heavy and strangely pleased. “I’m glad someone recognises me,” he murmurs as Kyungsoo strides past. It takes everything in Kyungsoo’s will to not flinch. He’d almost forgotten, in this past hour, what Sehun was and what he was capable of.

“Come back soon,” Baekhyun says, with forced cheerfulness. “Now, Zitao, what were you saying about your martial arts...”

As soon as the door closes behind them and the morning air hits Kyungsoo, Chanyeol says, “ _What the fuck did you do._ ” It’s barely even a question, the way it’s growled out. “Kyungsoo, what did you do?”

“Don’t look at me like that, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo fires back. “It wasn’t on purpose!”

Chanyeol drags a hand across his face. “You know, when I gave you that book, it wasn’t so that you could suddenly summon _a demon from Hell!_ ”

Kyungsoo’s expression grows stony. “You’re acting as if I’m some kind of evil madman. It was _an accident_ , Chanyeol. I was _trying_ to use that binding spell, you know that one on page three?”

“So how did you summon a demon?!”

Kyungsoo pauses. He has never liked to admit any mistakes on his part – _especially not_ to people like Chanyeol.  “Well,” he says, coughing a little. “Might have. Copied some of the runes wrong. And. Spilt a little blood. It was an accident!” he insists at Chanyeol’s expression. The expression in question is mixture of disbelief and amusement.

“You...,” Chanyeol begins. And then he bursts out laughing. “How! Do you accidentally summon a demon! This is hilarious!”

They’re attracting the stares of passersby now. Kyungsoo is pretty sure that they’re scaring off customers. “It’s not that funny,” he hisses.

“It’s pretty funny,” Chanyeol says, still guffawing. Kyungsoo doesn’t regret punching him in the arm swiftly; unlike Sehun, Chanyeol is not likely to kill him.

When Chanyeol recovers, he grabs Kyungsoo’s arm. For once, Kyungsoo doesn’t berate him, and only glances up. There’s a certain _something_ to Chanyeol’s expression. “Be careful, please,” he says, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. “This Sehun... He’s not any old demon is he?”

Pause. Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“I can’t believe,” Chanyeol starts, before he too, shakes his head. “I’m glad you’re not dead, at least.”

Kyungsoo manages the smallest of smiles. “Me too.” Kyungsoo hesitates, before adding, “He says he’s not leaving ‘till I make a deal with him. Chanyeol, what do I do?”

Chanyeol’s grip tightens on Kyungsoo’s arm, momentarily reassuring him, somehow. “Wait it out,” Chanyeol says, finally. “There’s nothing else you _can_ do, I guess, unless you want to lose your soul.”

“No.”

“Then there’s your answer.” Chanyeol pulls his hand away. “Baek and I will try and find some way to help, Kyungsoo. It’s our fault you’re in this mess.”

Kyungsoo’s small smile lifts further at the corner. “Damn right,” he says, and they walk back into the cafe together. The waiter at the counter, the same who’d served them, is watching Sehun and Baekhyun and Zitao, amusement curling his lip up. Kyungsoo, however, is watching with less joy. “Byun Baekhyun,” he barks. “Get your filthy arm off my best friend.”

Baekhyun twists in his seat, grinning at Kyungsoo. “Don’t be like that, Kyungsoo,” he says. “Zitao and I are friends now!”

“Yeah, Kyungsoo-hyung,” Zitao says.

“Yeah, Kyungsoo-hyung,” Sehun mimics. Kyungsoo’s eyes narrow dangerously. Baekhyun withdraws his arm. Zitao smiles sheepishly. And Sehun... He’s watching Kyungsoo with an odd gaze that Kyungsoo can’t interpret.

“The smell of mage is really strong here,” Sehun announces as Kyungsoo and Chanyeol slide back into the booth. Kyungsoo flinches imperceptibly. “It’s very... distracting.”

Zitao frowns. “The smell of what?”

“It’s a type of herb,” Baekhyun interrupts, all eye-smiles and innocent gestures. “It’s the owner’s favourite. I know them personally.”

Zitao sniffs the air, frowning a little more. “I can’t smell anything in particular.”

“That’s strange,” Sehun says, and now its eyes are boring into the side of Kyungsoo’s head. Kyungsoo refuses to react, because one half of him is demanding he run away, and the other half wants him to look Sehun in the eye. “It’s really obvious to me.”

“Maybe you’ve just got a good nose,” Chanyeol suggests. He steals the last of Kyungsoo’s waffle, but Kyungsoo doesn’t complain. His fingers are clenching his thighs beneath the table. Breathe, he tells himself. It’s easy.

 Sehun beams. “I like to think I do,” he says, and the atmosphere suddenly changes. It feels strangely lighter now, not quite as suffocating.

“So, Sehun, how old are you?” Zitao asks, leaning his cheek on his hand. “You look older than Kyungsoo.”

“That’s not hard,” Sehun says, and Zitao snickers. Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the smirk on both Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s faces and Kyungsoo's scowl returns. Those little shits... “I’m twenty-two! Almost as old as Soo-hyung.”

“Almost as old as me!” Zitao exclaims. “But you’re still the maknae.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol adds. He seems to have forgotten the fact that Sehun’s a demon, somehow. “Baekhyun and I are both older than Soo.”

Kyungsoo fixes his glare on Chanyeol’s side profile. “You’re older than me by _two months_ ,” he says, punching Chanyeol again.

With a very acute whine, Chanyeol says, “Still your hyung, though! Shouldn’t you call me hyung?”

“No,” Kyungsoo says, and punctuates it with another punch.

It’s another half hour before they leave the cafe. To Kyungsoo’s disappointment, Baekhyun and Chanyeol get on ridiculously well with Sehun, despite knowing what it is. Baekhyun also promises to call Zitao with a ridiculous wink and grin.

“Well,” Kyungsoo says, as they wave Chanyeol and Baekhyun off. “Baekhyun better not break your heart, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Don’t worry, hyung,” Zitao says. “My martial arts will protect me!” He laughs. “Seriously though, if anything, I’ll be the one breaking _his_ heart.”

“Good god,” Kyungsoo says, frowning. “Please don’t make it a competition.”

“No promises!” Zitao envelops Kyungsoo in a brief hug. “See you next week, hyung! And Sehun, hopefully we’ll be seeing each other more too.” Zitao makes sure to wink as well before he leaves, Kyungsoo scowling.

There’s a silence, then, punctured only by the whistling wind and growing people on the road. “So that’s who you got The Spellbook For Beginners from?”

“Yep,” Kyungsoo says, staring down the road after Chanyeol and Baekhyun. “I have lots of regret.”

“They were much funnier than you, Soo-hyung,” Sehun says, grinning at Kyungsoo’s expression. “I’d approve if Chanyeol hadn’t tried to warn you off me.”

“He didn’t-,” Kyungsoo starts, before he sighs. “So you’re staying, then.”

“Naturally!” Sehun slings a long arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. Why is Kyungsoo shorter than _literally_ everyone else, including something from Hell? Do they need to be tall down there? “Unless, of course, you want to make a deal?”

“No,” Kyungsoo snaps.

Sehun pouts. “Are you sure? Not that I want to leave you so quickly, Soo-hyung, but I do enjoy making deals. The satisfaction of getting a human soul is amazing. I’m sure you understand!”

“I’m sure you’re joking,” Kyungsoo says flatly, and Sehun’s laugh rings in his ears all the way back to his house.

\---

That night, Kyungsoo wakes to the sound of whimpers.

At first, he finds himself wondering if he left the window open and there’s some poor stray dog caught in the cold. Then he realises the noise is much too loud for that. And much too human.

Kyungsoo turns on his side, facing Sehun, whose entire body is shaking. It’s odd, Kyungsoo thinks, feeling oddly detached, how something so inherently evil can be just as human as the rest of us.

Kyungsoo is tempted not to wake Sehun up. First of all, he’s not sure Sehun would appreciate it, and maybe this time Kyungsoo will get punched into next week. And also, he doesn’t have that kind of sympathy for something that destroyed his living room floor and is refusing to leave his home.

At least, that’s what he likes to tell himself. It becomes incredibly obvious, however, that such a thing is untrue when Kyungsoo finds himself reaching across the space between them, his hand hovering above Sehun’s shoulder.

He bites his lip. He can already tell he’s going to regret this.

“Sehun,” Kyungsoo says, voice too loud in the night. He half-sits up and grasps Sehun’s shoulders through the tremors. “Sehun, _wake up_.”

His – no, _its_ hands fling out, and Kyungsoo barely avoids his nose being broken. “Sehun!” Kyungsoo repeats, shaking Sehun harder now. “I swear to god, I’ll slap you-”

Sehun’s eyes snap open and for a second, Kyungsoo swears the normally black irises flash purple.

“Fuck,” Sehun says,wrenching his torso off the bed, sitting upright. “Shit. Ugh.”

Kyungsoo sits back on his heels, his heart strangely racing. “Bad dream?” he asks quietly. The digital clock at the beside flashes 03:00.

“Bad dream,” Sehun agrees, pressing his palms into his eyes. “It’s the human stench. It’s doing things to me.”

Kyungsoo scoffs.

“Still, Soo-hyung,” Sehun says, turning to face him. “I’m surprised you cared enough to wake me.”

Kyungsoo feels the tips of his ears reddening and he’s grateful for the cover of darkness. “I couldn’t sleep because of all your whining,” he says, sniffing. “It was for my own benefit, not anything else.”

Kyungsoo thinks Sehun’s teeth maybe flash in a smile. He’s not sure. “Okay, hyung,” Sehun says softly, and he - _it_ slides back down to sleep.

After a moment of staring at Sehun’s broad, turned back, Kyungsoo follows. That night, he dreams of distant lands and purple flowers.

It’s the most uncomfortable sleep he’s had in a long time.

\---

Kyungsoo’s not sure how he survives the next week.

The living room is still pretty trashed. There’s a gaping hole in the bottom of the floor although Kyungsoo has cleared up the mess around it (while Sehun lounged on the sofa, studying his fingernails). They’re still sharing the same bed for some god-awful reason (Sehun being a whiny brat when Kyungsoo refuses to sleep next to him – “Demon pox doesn’t exist! Seriously!”). Sehun never stops complaining about the smell of ‘human’ (“It’s everywhere!”). And worst of all?

Kyungsoo’s beginning to get attached.

Because, although Sehun’s a grand demon of Hell, Kyungsoo’s never actually seen him try to actively harm anyone. Ever. At all. Worst he’s done is shriek at the sight of a cockroach (Kyungsoo’s not even joking). There are moments, when Kyungsoo wakes up before Sehun in the morning, that he feels like he’s known Sehun his whole life. Perhaps, a past one. Kyungsoo’s always been fanciful like that – not that he’d ever admit it to anyone.

And yeah, he’s bratty. One day after Kyungsoo had come home from work, Sehun had immediately thrown himself onto Kyungsoo’s work-burdened back and complained about the lack of sweet food in the house. “You have no taste,” he’d said right in Kyungsoo’s ear after five minutes of pouting, and Kyungsoo had nearly chucked him through the hole in the living, as if it would take Sehun back to Hell.

And yeah, he gets a bit excitable. There was that time when Sehun had demanded Kyungsoo take them to the park (for some stupid reason, Sehun couldn’t go himself) and spent an hour petting random dogs – dogs that somehow didn’t smell Sehun’s inner evil – in the heat of summer. Kyungsoo likes wearing black clothes. He’s not sure how he didn’t melt that day.

And yeah, he’s the most irritating person – or rather, _thing_ – that Kyungsoo has ever met. And that’s including Chanyeol and Baekhyun. Turns out, other than the nightmares, Sehun _does_ talk in his sleep. A lot of it is insults to his hyung-in-Hell, Luhan. The other half tends to be complaints. About. Everything.

When Kyungsoo thinks about it, there really is nothing great about Sehun. He doesn’t know why he’s attached at all. Everything about him is just...

Ugh. Whatever.

Because actually, Kyungsoo does appreciate Sehun’s smiles when Kyungsoo gets home from work. It feels great, when Kyungsoo ignores the weird, lurching feeling in his stomach. He does appreciate the praise Sehun has for his cooking, even thought Kyungsoo hasn’t cooked for anyone but himself in a long time (excluding the few times Chanyeol and Baekhyun have extorted food out of him). And he does appreciate Sehun’s companionship on the days Kyungsoo feels especially lonely and curls up on the bed to watch movies on his laptop (because he can’t really watch them in his living room anymore). Sehun laughs at the parts Kyungsoo laughs at, cries at the parts Kyungsoo cries at. And honestly, Kyungsoo has never felt at home. It probably helps that there’s this weird fuzzy feeling in his chest. He does, from time to time, get this weird ache as well, though, when he catches Sehun staring at him during movies or when he wakes up in the morning before Sehun and the strands of Sehun’s hair fall across the pillow like scattered flowers.

It’s so easy to forget that Kyungsoo accidentally summoned Sehun by drawing a few wrong lines and cutting his skin. It’s so easy to forget that Sehun’s not actually human – he’s a demon who makes deals for people’s souls. It’s even easier to forget when Kyungsoo _wants_ to.

“I really like you, hyung,” Sehun says, one night when he thinks Kyungsoo’s asleep. And Kyungsoo almost is. He almost thinks that those words are a dream and Kyungsoo can’t help but think that it’s a nice dream indeed.

That next morning, the doorbell rings. And when Kyungsoo opens the door, he finds a pretty man with eyes like glittering rocks at his door.

“Hello,” he says conversationally. “I’m Luhan.”

Kyungsoo pauses. Where has he heard that name before...?

Oh.

Oh, fuck.

“Uh,” Kyungsoo says in reply. “Okay.”

Luhan smiles, bright and gleaming. “Let me in.”

Kyungsoo lets him in.

“Hyung!” Sehun’s surprised voice echoes through the hall. Sehun, who’s wearing a ratty shirt and underwear. “Why are you here?”

“Sehunnie,” Luhan says as Kyungsoo closes the door behind him, “do you know how many dishes there are at home for you to do?”

Kyungsoo blinks. That. Was not what he expected.

“And do you know what a bad reputation you’re giving the family by staying in the house of a human? Specifically, the human that forced you back into this wretched world? Don’t you remember what happened to you the last time you came here?”

Ah. That’s better.

Sehun’s gaze turns stony. “That was two hundred years ago, Luhan. The world is different now.”

“Different how?” Luhan rolls his eyes. “If you mean _worse_ , then sure. The humans seem to be killing themselves in even _more_ ways than before.”

“Different, because now my lover wouldn’t be stoned to death because we’re both men.” Sehun stands his ground as Kyungsoo stares on in shock. Two hundred years ago... On top of that, Sehun’s lover? “Luhan, I’m not going.”

Luhan narrows his eyes. There’s a different kind of beauty to them, Kyungsoo thinks. One is much more dangerous than the other at first glance. “Yes, you are. You are sullying our reputation, Sehun. We’ve enough trouble as it is.”

“ _No_.”

“Do I need to get Yifan up here?”

“Sehun...” Kyungsoo says. The two demons turn to him. “I think you should go.”

He regrets the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth. Why does he never consider his actions before he does them? Sehun’s eyes flash with hurt as Luhan looks triumphantly on. “You want me to leave?”

“I-No, that’s not what I meant,” Kyungsoo starts, but it’s too late, because what else could he have meant?

“I’ll leave, then,” Sehun says quietly. “Since that’s what you both want.” Sehun steps through the hall. “Next time, Soo-hyung, don’t accept strange books from your friends. And don’t use blood.”

The words are administered coldly, and Kyungsoo feels them like a punch to the gut.

“I guess I don’t have any reason to stay,” Sehun says.

“I guess you don’t,” Luhan says, smiling. He reaches out to take Sehun’s hand, and Kyungsoo’s gaze slides past them to the wrecked living room Kyungsoo had first met Sehun in. The hole in the floor is still there. So is the memory of Sehun appearing so damn grandly and knocking all of Kyungsoo’s illusions aside.

“Wait,” Kyungsoo whispers. He clears his throat. “Wait!”

Sehun waits, and that’s all Kyungsoo needs. His blood is pounding through his veins. He cannot let Sehun go. “Actually, there is a reason for Sehun to stay.”

Sehun waits again. This time, Luhan waits with him, eyebrow raised.

“Uh, well, uh..." One glance to Kyungsoo's right gives him the idea. "Sehun really, really needs to clean up the mess he made in my living room,” Kyungsoo begins, holding one finger out. “Like, seriously, that’s millions of won worth of damage! It’s rude to destroy a man’s property with repaying him, no?”

“I don’t-”

“He’s right!” Sehun half-yelps. He steps backwards. “Silly me. I have a debt to repay.”

“It’s not a debt-”

“It’s definitely a debt,” Kyungsoo says, nodding. “Sehun owes me money. And manual labour worth a thousand years.”

“What,” Luhan says flatly. Sehun glares at Kyungsoo fleetingly before he nods as well.

“It’s true, hyung,” Sehun says. His expression of pain is real. “I don’t want to do a thousand years’ worth of labour, but it’s the only way to repay Soo-hyung. I can’t _sully_ the family’s reputation by not repaying my debts, can I?”

“Sehun-” Luhan growls.

“No, no, you can’t convince me otherwise, hyung. I have to complete this task. Otherwise I’ll never be able to look you or Yifan in the eye again!”

“ _Sehun_ -”

“And when my task is completed, I’ll do the dishes for two hundred years,” Sehun adds quickly. Kyungsoo almost snorts.

But Luhan actually pauses. Are the dishes really that much of a problem to grand demons? Seriously??? “When you find your ass in Hell again, you’re doing the dishes for _six_ hundred years.”

“Three hundred.”

“Five hundred, or I’m telling Yifan-”

“Fine, five hundred!” Sehun pouts, folding his arms. “Why are you so mean to your dongsaeng?”

“More like, why is my dongsaeng so mean to me?” Luhan sniffs. He spins on his heel. “Five hundred years, Sehunnie. I won’t forget.”

And then he’s gone. Just like that.

The silence that fills the house is deafening. And then, Kyungsoo says slowly, “You guys really hate doing the dishes that much?”

Sehun nods solemnly. “The plates pile up,” he says. “There are no dishwashers in Hell. Everything must be washed and dried by hand. We’re primitive like that.”

Kyungsoo pauses some more. And then he bursts out laughing.

“I can’t believe,” Kyungsoo says, wiping his tears, “that you got your brother to leave you alone by promising to do the dishes!”

“Five hundred years’ worth of dishes,” Sehun corrects, all wide grins and crinkled eyes. “What, are you saying it wouldn’t work on your brother?”

“Come here,” Kyungsoo says, and before he knows it he’s got his arms around Sehun, hugging him tightly. “Just so you know, Sehun,” Kyungsoo murmurs into the fabric of Sehun’s shirt, “I don’t want you to go. Ever.”

“That’s good, Soo-hyung, because I don’t want to go. Ever.”

Kyungsoo smiles. His cheeks hurt a little. For a while, they stand there, not letting go.

“But also, please clean up the living room. Seriously. You have super powers, don’t you?”

“Soo-hyung!”

\---

_six months later_

“Oh, you’re here.” Baekhyun grins a little as he steps into Kyungsoo’s new living room. “I thought you’d be in that place forever.”

“It doesn’t take me _that_ long to repair a few floorboards,” Sehun says, rolling his eyes. “It’s not my fault Soo-hyung thought it was a good idea to redo the _whole_ place. So much work for little old me. Do you know how old I am?”

“Sehunnie!” Zitao comes through before Baekhyun can reply, a huge grin on his face. “Did you choose the design for the new room? It’s amazing.”

“Would Sehun have this kind of taste?” Baekhyun says, grabbing Zitao’s hand. “You have too much faith in him.”

“Well, now that you’ve told me about demons and shit and that Sehun is a demon, I’m ready to believe anything.”

Sehun frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Chanyeol says, stepping through the door, “that even though the idea of you having any kind of taste is ridiculous, Zitao is willing to believe it.”

“You’re one to talk!” Sehun points an accusatory finger at Chanyeol. “Your hair is orange!”

“Orange is classy,” Chanyeol sniffs. He tosses his hair dramatically. “You’re just jealous because you can’t rock this look.”

“You can’t rock it either.” Kyungsoo pokes his head into the living room, scowling. “God. Who invited you all anyway? I sure didn’t.”

“Don’t be grouchy, Soo,” Sehun says, reaching over to give his boyfriend a kiss. “We’re celebrating six months of being together!”

“Actually, we’re celebrating you finally finishing redoing my house,” Kyungsoo says, but he looks pleased, the edges of his cheekbones tinted red.

“OMG,” Baekhyun says, because he’s the only one who would say that in real life, “Kyungsoo, you’re blushing! That’s disgusting!”

Kyungsoo pauses. Chanyeol and Zitao try to make themselves scarce. “Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says pleasantly, “you like cucumbers, right?”

Baekhyun gasps. “ _Don’t you dare-!_ ”

Kyungsoo disappears back into the kitchen with Baekhyun racing after him, only to have the door shut in his face.

“You brought it on yourself,” Chanyeol calls and Sehun giggles.

 “Seriously though, I can’t believe you guys have been together for six months,” Zitao says, settling on one of the sofas. “I mean, hyung dating a demon is _not_ what I expected out of his love life.”

“You’re basically dating a puppy,” Sehun reminds him.

“Hmm. True.” Zitao grins. “No regrets, though.”

“And I’m the only single one,” Chanyeol sighs, flopping onto an armchair and flinging his arm over his eyes dramatically. “Oh, woe is me.”

“Lol,” Baekhyun says.

When they’re busy fighting, Sehun remarks to Zitao, “But actually, I think I have it the worst, not Chanyeol.”

“What do you mean?” Zitao furrows his eyebrows. Does that mean Sehun doesn’t actually like Kyungsoo anymore? Is he planning on breaking up with him? If he is, Zitao’s going to kick his ass, grand demon or not-

“I have five hundred years' worth of dishes to wash when I go home.”

“...Sehun...”

 

..//end


End file.
